Current water-wheel.



PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

J. L. WEAVER. CURRENT WATER WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1905.

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ANDREW a sham c0. Pnowumoammzks. wAsmxmom u N0. 803,377. PATENTED OCT.31, 1905.

J. L. WEAVER.

GURRENT WATER WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1905.

2 SHEET8-BHBET 2.

UNITED STATES JOHN L. WEAVER, OF BOISE, IDAHO.

CURRENT WATER-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.-

Application filed April 14, 1905. Serial No. 255,554.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. WEAVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boise, in the county of Ada and State of Idaho, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Current Water-Wheels;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to water-wheels, has especial reference to thatclass of wheels designed to utilize the power of flowing streams ofwater, and has forits object to obtain the maximum power of the streamby reducing friction and the resistance of the paddles to the minimum.

The invention consists in certain improvemerits in construction, whichwill be fully disclosed in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a water-wheel of my improvedconstruction with the pulley and gearwheel removed; Fig. 2, a sideelevation, partly in section; and Fig. 3, a transverse section on line 33, Fig. 2, with the shaft removed.

Reference being had to the drawings and the designating charactersthereon, 1 indicates the base of the hollow column 2 and is designed torest upon or may be embedded in the bottom or bed of a stream of waterand, if found necessary, may be secured by any suitable well-knownmeans.

3 is a step within the column provided with a recess 4 to receive thelower end of the shaft 5, to which the wheel is secured, and said shaftrests upon suitable ball-bearings 6. The step may be supported in anypreferred manner and is provided with openings 7 at the corners for thepassage of water. In the bottom 8 of the step is an opening 9 for thedischarge of water or mud, and in the column 2 are openings 10 for alike purpose.

11 indicates a float-platform which is provided with a depending sleeve12, which surrounds and telescopes the column 2 and rises and fallsthereon as the water in the stream rises and falls, due to tide or othercauses. On the upper face of the float-platform is a boss 13, providedwith an annular groove 14 to receive balls 14, and above said boss andproperly secured to the shaft5 by keys or splines 15 or in any othersuitable manner is a collar 16, whose lower surface is provided with anannular groove 17, which registers with the groove 14 and, together withthe balls 14, forms a ball-bearing for the waterwheel.

A track is supported on the upper surface of the float-platform 11 andis provided with a flat horizontal section 18 on one side of the shaft5, inclined sections 19, only one of which is shown, and an elevatedhorizontal section 20 opposite the section 18, supported on posts 21.

In the collar 16 are radial recesses or pockets 22, in which arepivotally secured the inner ends of the paddles or blades 23 by pins 24to enable the paddles to rise and fall as they pass over the track 18 todip the paddles in the current and raise them at a point in therevolution of the wheel when the current is not effective, and thusrelieve the wheel of the friction and resistance of the water on thepaddles when they can do no work. The paddles are provided withrevoluble grooved antifriction wheels of rollers 25, which engage thetrack 18 in the revolution of the wheel.

26 represents radial arms projecting from the collar 16 intermediate thepaddles, and the latter are secured thereto by chains 27 for thetransmission of the power of the current of water from the stream to thewheel proper.

Power may be transmitted from the waterwheel through the medium of agear-wheel 28 or a pulley 29 and belt 30 or in any other preferredmanner.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1.Awater-wheel of the class described, provided with a fixed hollowcolumn, afloat-platform having a hollow extension telescopicallyengaging said hollow column, a shaft, and a wheel provided with paddlesvertically movable at their outer ends, and means for raising andlowering said paddles.

2. A Water-wheel of the class described, provided with a fixed hollowcolumn having a step therein provided with a ball-bearing, afloatplatform having a hollow extension telescopically engaging saidhollow column, a shaft resting on said step, and a wheel provided withpaddles vertically movable at their outer ends, and a track on saidfloat-platform for raising and lowering said paddles.

3. A water-wheel ofthe class described, provided with a telescopiccolumn, a float-platform having a track thereon, a shaft, a collarsecured to said shaft, paddles pivotally secured to said collar, radialarms above the paddles, means connecting the paddles to the IIO arms,and a support in said column for said I the paddles to the arms, andasupport in said I shaft. column for said shaft.

4. A water-wheel of the class described, pro- In testimony WhereofIaflix my signature in vided with a telescopic column, alioat-piiztpresence of two Witnesses. form having a track t iereon, ashaft, a co at T secured to said shaft and provided with i'a- JOHLWEAVER dially-arranged pockets, paddles pivotally se- WVitnesses: curedin said pockets, radial arms above and BENJ. A. DARE, intermediate thepaddles, means connecting B. H. GUERR.

